


Paper Rings

by TigerMoon



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Babysitting, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Pretend Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:48:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23816416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigerMoon/pseuds/TigerMoon
Summary: In which Marlene throws a pretend wedding, Vincent is the prettiest bride, and maybe paper rings are more binding than real ones.(originally published 04/2013)
Relationships: Reeve Tuesti/Vincent Valentine
Comments: 10
Kudos: 50





	Paper Rings

**Author's Note:**

> A few people have poked me about this, and with the FF7 Remake now out, it seemed like as good a time as any to repost the absolutely ridiculous old fic I wrote back in the days when Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core were new. Because nothing says fun like outing your old crap, amirite
> 
> Yes, I know Marlene's a bit too old to behave the way she does in this fic, and no I don't care. Let me have this, dammit.

* * *

The announcement was unexpected. "We're gonna have a wedding," Marlene declared, waving a hair brush in one hand and tugging on Vincent's hair with the other. Vincent winced.

"We are?" Reeve paused, putting his pencil down mid-equation. Denzel took the opportunity to shove his math homework back into his bag. "I'm flattered, princess. You get your toothbrush, I'll get some chocobos, and we'll elope to Costa like Cloud and Tifa."

The little girl mock-pouted, stomping one little foot on the floor and trying to muffle her giggles. "Not me, silly! You!" Vincent gave a long-suffering sigh as she began tying a pink ribbon into his hair. Babysitting the children had seemed so much easier when the children were off at school and not actually home. "'Sides, I'm gonna marry Papa when I grow up."

"Gross," Denzel said, wrinkling his nose. "I'm never getting married. Girls have cooties."

"Hey! I do not!"

"I didn't mean _you_ , Marlene. Other girls." He pretended to pull imaginary skirts out to bow. "Like the ones in school. All they ever do is play house and try to kiss all us boys. YUCK."

Reeve managed to keep a straight face--but just barely. "Cooties get interesting after you get older," he chuckled, tousling Denzel's hair. "Just give it a few years."

Vincent, who'd been quietly suffering through the conversation, tilted his head backwards to glance at Marlene. "... so who's getting married again?"

"You two!" She drew the brush out with a flourish, smacking Vincent's head in the process. "You and Uncle Reeve!"

Reeve nearly choked. Vincent simply stared at her. "Marlene, boys can't marry other boys," Denzel said after a pause, rolling his eyes.

"They can in Costa del Sol! I heard Uncle Cid and Aunt Shera talkin' about it!" Marlene put little hands on her hips, looking every bit as intimidating as Tifa. "I'm running it, and I say they can, so they can. So there." She blew a raspberry at Denzel. If nothing else, she had a flair for histrionics.

Denzel returned the volley, crossing his arms over his chest. "It still won't work! You have to have a _bride_ and a groom, not two grooms. And we have to have rings and a priest and a cake...."

The two continued arguing as Reeve backed around slowly from the kitchen table. "We're not going to get a say in this, are we?" he murmured, a wry grin crossing his face.

"Doesn't look like it," Vincent replied, looking more than a little perturbed. 

As the two men discussed their impending doom, the kids were coming to an agreement of sorts--or, to be more accurate, Marlene was winning her argument. "So you just have to play the music and and I'll do the rest. OK?"

Denzel sighed. "Fine. But there still can't be two grooms. That'd just be weird. Somebody has to be the bride."

That made her pause. She considered the adults carefully, peering into their faces before turning and filching a white flower from a vase in the room. "Sorry, Vincent," she commented as she tucked the bloom behind his ear, "but you're prettier than Uncle Reeve."

* * *

After a few more disagreements over venue (the empty bar ended up being the location, stools and chairs populated with teddy bears and action figures), refreshments (milk and cookies, considering bedtime was coming up soon), and duty delegation (Cait Sith was *so* indignant about being the flower girl), the 'ceremony', as it were, was set to go.

The initial process went... well, not precisely smoothly, as Denzel didn't know the wedding march and had to improvise. After his third off-key rendition of the first eight notes, Marlene stomped her foot. "Just play something you know, Denzel!"

Thus Vincent, decked out with an antique lace doily pinned on his head for a veil, ended up walking to the bar to the tune of "Mary Had A Little Lamb."

Reeve, wearing a hideous pink craft-ribbon bow tie made by Marlene, was surprisingly solemn. Cait Sith, on the other hand, was cackling like a loon and tossing fabric flower petals about in giant pawfuls.

"Beloved people and honored guests!" Marlene crowed once the 'bride' had taken up his place next to the 'groom'. "We are here tonight to get Mr. Vincent and Uncle Reeve married! If anybody has any reason why they shouldn't get married, speak now so I can kick your butt!"

Reeve choked on a laugh, covering it up with a cough behind one hand. "... that's not how it goes, Marlene," Denzel said flatly. "It's 'speak now or forever hold your peace'."

"You're no fun, Denzel." Pouting slightly, she turned back to the grown men before her. "Anyway. I don't remember the boring long stuff, so let's get to the good part! Um... Uncle Reeve, you first." She pointed her hand at him commandingly. "Do you promise to take Vincent as your wife, when he's sick and when he's well, even though he's kinda broke, 'til one of you dies?"

There was a pause as Reeve stared over at his near-immortal 'bride', trying not to laugh at the mangled vows; without looking away he shook his head. "I don't make promises that end at death, Marlene," he said. "A promise like this is one I'll keep forever."

Denzel began picking at his hands, uncomfortably aware of the energy shift in the room; Marlene's eyes went wide before she rounded on Vincent, notes in hand. "OK, Vincent's turn! Do you take Uncle Reeve to be your husband, forever and ever, even though he's a crazy cat lady--Denzel, that wasn't what I wrote down!"

The boy grinned. Vincent bit lightly on his lower lip as Reeve flushed red. "... I suppose so," he finally rumbled.

"... then we need rings! _Caaaaait!_ " At Marlene's call, the automaton came running bearing a shabby pillow in his paws. Laying atop the pillow were two circles of paper, taped together and colored gold in waxy crayon. "Well? Put them on!"

The slip of paper was almost too tight to fit on Reeve's pinky finger; Vincent's was a perfect fit- if he put it on the middle one. "With this ring..." the raven-haired man mumbled almost shyly.

"...I thee wed," Reeve finished. He kept hold of the other's hand, staring at the paper-and-tape band around the other's finger.

"I propose you now married! Now KISS!" Marlene crowed gleefully and tossed her notes into the air. Denzel made fake barfing noises behind her. "And hurry up 'cause I want cookies!"

Vincent gave Reeve a look that promised pain and retribution in the near future. "You owe me so much for this, Tuesti," he said lowly, leaning forward as the younger man lifted the doily back from his face.

"Does that mean you're taking my last name?" Reeve teased, leaning forward. Ruby eyes flashed defiantly before their lips met, and all thought of retort faded away in the sudden taste of apple brandy, the feel of rough fingertips running down smooth skin, the perfect fit of two bodies coming together-

-and the flash of a camera capturing the moment forever, thus ensuring their future humiliation.

" _REEVE AND VINCENT, SITTIN' IN A TREE-_ "

Vincent groaned and thumped his head against his partner's shoulder as the children ran for the fridge, singing at the tops of their lungs. "We're never going to live this down, are we?"

" _-K-I-S-S-I-N-G-_ "

Reeve chuckled and clasped his hand again. The little rings still hung on their fingers, two little paper circles colored crayon gold. "Depends on if you want to live it down or not," he answered, then hesitantly added, "If this is a humiliation you think you could live with, that is."

There was a moment of silence punctuated by squeals of glee and the tossing of glitter around them; Vincent looked back up at him with a faint smile on his lips. "Yeah," he said, raising his head to kiss his groom's cheek. "I think I can live with this."

**Author's Note:**

> :D


End file.
